When gibbs and I decided to simplify our lives, one of the first things we did was to cancel most of our magazine and newspaper subscriptions. We also eliminated TV news.
Our purpose at that time was twofold: We wanted to create more time for the type of reading and thinking we really liked to do, and we wanted to cut back on the amount of physical, emotional, and psychological clutter that came into the house and into our lives.
In reviewing the benefits of our media blackout program, the most valuable without question was drastically cutting our exposure to the psychic and emotional drain of what passes for news. At the same time we reduced the stress of worrying about war, famine, earthquakes, crime, political corruption, the erosion of the dollar, and the seeming decline of our civilization.
As you start to go within, you might want to think about cutting back on the amount of time you spend keeping up with current events. Few things can disrupt your inner tranquility faster than a jolt of bad news, especially when you’re just starting out on your journey. The worst part is that until we’re tuned in to our inner selves, we’re often not even aware of the adverse impact tuning in to the apparent problems of the world can have on us.
After years of allowing myself to manipulated by the negativity of newsmongers, I found it was tremendously empowering to be able to pull the plug and to create the space for positive messages instead.
There’ll always be people and organizations hawking bad news. And there’ll always be people who are addicted to it, even though they may not be aware of it. But if you’re embarking on a spiritual journey, it’s very likely that your desire for real growth will become greater than your need to be constantly in the know.
At the very least, you might want to be selective about the type and the amount of news you allow yourself to be confronted with. Eliminating even some of the psychic clutter of bad news will greatly facilitate your inner quest.